How To Kill a Simms
by RedRogue
Summary: COMPLETE! Tyler is going to die. Of natural causes... Go figure. Only thing left to do is to make sure the Simms line is continued before his time runs out. Don't worry, Reid's there to help him win over the ladies... Okay, be worried. TylerOC
1. Introduction

**A/N: A birthday present to a lovely friend. Kitty loves to read about Tyler, I love the Kitty, and Tyler loves to be written about, so I wrote a Tyler fic for the Kitty who loves to read about Tyler who loves to be written about. Confused? Let's hope not. Happy birthday, Kitty!**

**-**

**Prologue:**

-

The words fell on him like a ton of bricks. He was with the rest of the Covenant when the doctor had told him, and they all reacted differently. Caleb held his breath and rubbed his hands over his face, Pogue had to take a seat, and Reid lashed out, pacing in the injustice of it. Tyler's eyes went wide, and he simply blinked in shock.

"_Mr. Sims… I'm very sorry to inform you that the disease cannot be reverted. You have maybe three months to live." _

He was confused, unable to register this concept of ceasing to exist. It made his mind fizzle in a blurry mess. For many minutes they sat in silence, the doctor leaving to give them time alone.

"Tyler?" Caleb asked cautiously. Tyler's eyes were to the floor, searching the laminate tiles for a sign.

"I fight the addiction to the Power every day of my life…" Tyler breathed in unbelief. "And now… I'm going to be done in by _that_."

Tyler thrust his index finger to the doctor's file sitting on the table next to him. The doctors had called it something he couldn't even pronounce, but in all essence, it was just a brain disease.

"God sure has a strange sense of humor," Tyler finished.

"Tyler," Caleb said seriously. "Your bloodline…"

Tyler frowned. He knew what Caleb was trying to say. He was going to die before he had continued his line. The Sims line would be over, unless he reproduced within the next three months.

"Dude, as if he didn't have _enough_ to worry about!" Reid scolded.

"Yeah, Caleb, try to be a _little_ sad that he's…" Pogue snapped, but couldn't bring his mouth to form the word 'dying'.

"Guys, I didn't mean…" Caleb sighed. "I'm sorry, Tyler. This is just… really sudden."

"No kidding," Tyler muttered. He angrily snatched his black jacket off the chair next to him in the waiting room lobby, and stormed out the hospital door without another word.

-

**Please review.  
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


	2. Step One

**A/N: Because Kitty likes author's notes, and this story is all about the Kitty. And all about the love. For Kitty. Moving on… Okay, nineteen reviews for the prologue? Apparently people around here are starving for some Tyler goodness. Go figure.**

**-**

_**How To Kill a Sims:**_

**Step One:  
Begin with a piece of dead meat.**

-

Tyler was surprised at how quickly he came to terms with his fate. Death didn't scare him like it would normal people. He didn't exactly welcome it, but it wasn't something he would spend day and night worrying about. He'd done enough of that over the course of last week. He had a limited time to live, and now he was surely going to live it.

Reid was taking it really hard, barely able to look at Tyler as they went about their day, or even in their dorms. He would talk in short, cold sentences of five words or less, and/or just make an excuse for having to be somewhere.

"Reid, we should talk."

"Don't want to."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Up for some pool at _Nicky's_?"

"Have homework. See ya."

Since when did Reid do homework anyway?

Pogue was out with his girlfriend a lot, and Caleb had taken a bit to drinking like his mother. Tyler found it odd to see the aftermath affect of his death on his Covenant brothers before he had even died yet.

He found strange solace in swimming, something he used to take for granted, just doing because the others were. Now, there was something about the water hitting his face… it set him free. He glided through the water like he was weightless in space, or flying through the air. It was a great tension reliever, thus wonderfully therapeutic.

He swam long after the rest of the team had gone back to the dorms for the day. He liked being alone, away from the piteous stares of his Covenant friends. He had requested it of his brothers not to spill his secret until after he had found someone to continue the bloodline with. They had no choice but to agree.

Tyler found it intriguing how everything changed once he knew he was going to die. People in his everyday life seemed to have a deeper meaning, while others, like his once frequent companion Aaron Abbott, were suddenly insufferable and not worth two seconds of his time.

"_What_ did you just say, Sims?" Aaron growled, immediately rising from his cafeteria chair. Tyler stopped and turned back around to repeat what he had muttered in a passing reply to Aaron.

"I said…" Tyler said slowly to make sure he heard. "BITE me, Abbott."

Which, of course, resulted in a fight, which landed Tyler in detention. Time was not something he liked to waste, but getting a good right hook in Aaron's cheek was well worth it.

Aaron and Tyler came into a familiar detention room and found the usual convicts:

Todd Rictorson, a brawny, sandy-haired jock who was always lighting something on fire. Sweet kid, with brown eyes and abnormally large feet. He was never seen without his letterman's jacket, even in the midst of a heat wave. They always let him off with mere detention instead of suspension like he deserved, since he was very good at defense on Friday night football games.

Then, there was Ember Donnelly, an unfriendly girl that looked like a ghoul, with dyed blue hair and dark purple lipstick that made her gray eyes just look creepy against her white face. She dressed like she had never seen a mirror and had an extremely rebellious nature. It was widely known that she was mental.

Finally, there was Jeremy Waye, a pale, emo druggie with black locks and just as colorless eyes. He always wore tight jeans with holes in the knees, and T-shirts forever promoting bands of various kinds. He was usually booked for that dirty mouth on him that he couldn't control. He used to be an enjoyable dude once upon a time, until he discovered cocaine. Now he was a bloodshot-eyed, perverted jerk.

"Abbott! Sims!" Jeremy piped up when he noticed the pair looking for seats. Today Jeremy was supporting the Strokes. "Didn't expect to see you on a Tuesday. What you in for?"

Tyler sighed and slumped into a corner desk.

"Slugged Abbott…" Tyler replied casually.

"Usually that's Garwin's tune," Jeremy smirked. "Where's he?"

"Not here," Tyler huffed, really wishing people would stop talking to him. "What are _you_ in for?" Tyler asked Jeremy.

"Told one of the sub teachers that she had nice boobs," Jeremy shrugged.

"Did she?"

"Not really."

"Ember has better," Aaron laughed, tossing a crumpled ball of paper at the back of Ember's head. "Why don't you give us a look so we can compare, sweetheart?"

She still did not speak, seeming quite content on whatever she was drawing on her desk. Aaron leaned over his desk and got uncomfortably close to the back of her neck.

"Say the word, Scary Spice, and I make all your dreams come true."

"Sorry, I'm not your type," she assured him sharply. "I'm a _girl_."

"Ouch..." Tyler muttered in amusement.

"And what's _your _type, Mistress of Darkness?" Aaron shot back. "You only do dead guys?"

"I don't know," she said in a droned voice. "I'll let you know when you're dead."

Her eyes fell on Tyler.

"Even Sims back there is looking better than you," she added.

Tyler sat up a little straighter, not knowing how to take this abrupt disclosure of information. He found it a little ironic that Jeremy would talk about dead men, and Ember would direct the conversation Tyler's way. Could she suspect…?

Tyler looked at Ember a little differently then. For being so weird and dark, she was actually kind of pretty, in a _Corpse_ _Bride_ sort of way. Then again, for a dead man walking in desperate need to continue his bloodline before he kicked the bucket, _anyone_ might have looked good to him right then. Or maybe it was the angle in which he saw her… Either way, there was definitely something about those pale eyes. He ended up staring at them for the rest of the period. When the teacher finally said they could go, he grabbed his bag and exited with the others. As they began to go their separate ways, Tyler jogged a bit to catch up with the navy-haired girl.

"You know," Tyler said when he caught up. "I have a aunt named Amber. Well, used to. She died a while back. But it kinda sounds a bit like Ember…"

Ember fought a grin at his lame come on, but couldn't help but feel flattered.

"Sheesh," she said with a smirk. "I think I'll wear this perfume more often. Apparently it's driving you boys crazy."

"Does that mean there's hope that you'll accept my invitation to dinner tonight?"

Ember stopped walking, so Tyler did too. She looked deep into his eyes, as if searching for his motivation.

"No," she replied firmly, and walked on.

"Why not?"

"Because you have aspirations for sex."

"Um, not sex, per_say_," Tyler argued, running to catch up with her again. "Just… making babies."

Ember rolled her eyes and laughed.

"It's a long story," Tyler reasoned. "One date. I'll even let you choose the place. No sex involved."

Ember stopped to do that staring thing again. She stepped up close to his face, making his brow go up in surprise.

"Get back to me when the lower half of your body stops doing all the talking."

Tyler let her walk away this time. He didn't try to follow again. He knew better.

Suddenly, Ember stopped, turned back around. She dropped her bag and ran for Tyler, leaping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his back. Her mouth attacked his, crashing her lips with such burning force Tyler wondered if they would ever be the same. It took him so much by surprise that he stumbled backward with her weight, his back hitting the wall as she somehow managed to keep herself latched onto his torso. She roughly tore off his green coat from his shoulders as her mouth devoured his, and slammed the coat on the floor like it disgusted her. He'd never had a woman that acted quite like this… but he liked it.

"Tell me you want me," she hissed in-between breaths. Tyler's heart was in his throat, barely able to breathe out the words she wanted him to say.

"Tell me!" she shot out in hot breath.

"I want you…" Tyler said in all truthfulness.

"How bad?" she pressed.

"Oh, pretty damn bad…!"

Suddenly, she pulled away, grabbed her bag from off the floor and simply walked off.

"Thank you!" she called over her shoulder.

Utterly out of his mind, Tyler stared after where she had left with the utmost of befuddlement, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He shook his head, trying to shake off her lovespell and get a hold of himself.

"Um…_Okay _then…?"

Suddenly a fist came out of nowhere and struck Tyler's face square in the jaw. Totally not expecting that, it made Tyler fall to the floor.

"Ow-- what the--?!" Tyler moaned, holding his stinging face. That was surely going to leave a mark.

"Get up, you little punk!" said a tall boy Tyler had never seen before in his life. "Get up so I can hit you back down again!"

"Wait, but--" Tyler sputtered, but the stocky biker-man had already grabbed a hold of his collar and dragged him to his feet.

"So you're the reason Ember dumped me, huh?" he growled, and it was only when Tyler was being clenched to the man's face when he saw how big he really was. "You making the move on my girl, sissy boy?"

Tyler went wide-eyed with shock and fear, shaking his head and not knowing what to say.

"I--I--I'm sorry, I didn't know…!"

"Like hell you didn't, momma's boy!" The man's brown eyes flared with anger, and pushed Tyler to the floor again. He stood over his fallen foe like a new victory, but glared like the battle had not even begun yet.

"I'll teach you not to touch my girl, little wussy. I'm gonna hammer that lesson in so hard you'll never forget it, either…"

-

**Please review.  
****Signed,  
****--RedRogue**


	3. Step Two

**A/N: Again, I find myself writing an author's note with nothing to say. Kitty, perhaps we should discuss this author's note business. Nevertheless, I succumbed to her commands and put in another author's note.  
On with the story!**

**-**

_**How To Kill a Sims:**_

**Step Two:  
Beat until thoroughly tender.**

-

"So let me get this straight," Reid paced as Tyler kept the icepack on his swollen black eye. Tyler leaned his head against the headboard of his bed and let Reid continue. "You hit on some girl, but she's not interested. Then she randomly decides she wants to make a man outta you in the middle of a hallway, then makes a break for it before she follows through. Then her ex-boyfriend makes a punching bag out of you, and here you are."

"Pretty much," Tyler sighed.

"Why don' t these things ever happen to _me_?" Reid whined, plopping down on the bed. Tyler was glad Reid had finally decided to start speaking to him again, but hated the circumstances that had to take place before it was brought about.

"Who was she, anyway?" Reid said, slipping his hands behind his head and falling onto his pillow.

"Ember Donnelly," Tyler admitted.

Reid nearly choked to death.

"Well, go figure!" he laughed. "That girl's fresh out of the loony bin. I heard she murdered her father AND has had two abortions already. She's clearly not the type of genetics you want in a kid."

"At least I'd have a kid."

"Ty, the girl got the shit beat out of you to get rid of an unwanted guy. There's no need for such desperation, my friend."

"Well, what would _you_ do, if you were me?"

"You mean if I had to reproduce within the next three months?" Reid snorted. "No sweat-- I'd have girls lining up for the opportunity."

"Don't give me that bull-- you haven't had a date since sophomore year."

"Because I haven't _wanted_ one, obviously," Reid said in his '_of course_' type of tone. He turned onto his side to face Tyler. "Besides, Baby Boy, you have a trust full of fundage that it's not like you'll be using… You should just pay a girl to have your kid and be done with it."

"You think that would work?"

"Everyone has their price. Not to mention we _do_ kinda have the power of persuasion too, if you catch my drift."

Tyler frowned. The idea of paying a woman for sex just sounded like a rotten idea, especially when he put it like that. Using their Powers to force a woman into liking them seemed wrong too.

"Let's make those our _last_ resorts," Tyler decided.

"Fine," Reid agreed. "The old-fashioned way, it is. Tomorrow, find yourself a target and we'll go from there."

"'_We'll_ go'?" Tyler repeated in surprise.

"Yeah," Reid shrugged it off. "You didn't expect to have to go this alone, did you?"

Tyler rolled his eyes and reached to turn out the light.

"Gee, what would've given me _that_ idea?"

"I don't appreciate the tone, Sims…"

-

Tyler slung his bag over his shoulder in the locker halls after class after it was properly filled with his books, his eyes to the floor as he thought on the fate that had befallen him. Why him? He was the youngest, for gosh sakes. He should have been the last to die. Why wouldn't fate give him a chance? Couldn't it give him a break? An ounce of fortune in his favor? Just one?

That's when Tyler already beaten face collided with the broad side of a locker door. He fell hard on his back, and his surely broken nose hurt like hell. That's when he decided it was official: Fate hated him.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" said a sweet, small female voice.

The universe shifted. Maybe fate didn't despise him after all…

She was a cute, stick-thin, flat-chested little thing, wearing baggy clothes to make up for her lack of shape. But she had the most beautiful hair, white and wavy, hanging down to her hips. Her face sharply featured, but her skin was pale and creamy, and her eyes were a light shade of blue. They seemed… familiar somehow. She hovered over him with a concerned expression.

"Tyler, are you okay?"

She knew his name. Guess that was what happened when you were popular.

"Hi…" Tyler was quite aware he sounded like an idiot. She knew him, so he was probably supposed to know her too. What was her name?

"Have I seen you around a party… or somewhere?" Tyler asked.

She blushed wildly, helping him gather his books off the floor.

"Oh, I'm not big on partying…" she replied breathlessly.

"Well, I'm sorry, I can't recall your name…"

"Oh, you don't know me," she replied quickly, pushing her hair behind her ear and handing him the last book. "Here."

Then she stood up and scurried away before Tyler could find out who she was. He looked down at the book she had given him—one of his literature books.

It gave him an idea.

-

"What are you looking for, Ty?" Reid asked from the doorway to their dorm. Tyler was busy fishing through their closet.

"Last year's yearbook. Seen it?"

"No," Reid laughed like the question was ridiculous. "We had two. Where's yours?"

"Can't find it. I thought it was in this box, but…"

"Oh, yeah," Reid said with a nod. "I think I used it as a coaster last week. Check the desk."

Sure enough, there it was on the desk underneath one of Reid's soda cans. Tyler seized it and flipped through quickly.

"Who you looking for?" Reid asked with little interest, sipping another soda out of a can. Tyler was so enveloped in his search through the pages that he didn't answer at first.

"Oh, uh, some girl I saw today."

"Ooo, Tyler found a potential baby-maker! Nice!"

"Okay, could we _not_ call it that?" Tyler paused his rigorous search to plead with his friend. "This is uncomfortable enough as it is."

Reid shrugged obligingly and took another swig of his cola.

"There she is!" Tyler called out excitedly, then followed the page to the right to find her name. "And the winner's name IS…"

Tyler read it twice over, just to be sure his eyes weren't lying to him.

"Willow—_Donnelly_?! Wait, is she related to--?"

"Willow?" Reid spat out a bit of his soda in laughter. "The quiet little hippie nun? You have a Jones for Ember's _twin_? Talk about ironic. Can't harp on your taste though, Willow's pretty cute. And a virgin-- a good bonus. Widely known she doesn't date though."

"Why not?"

"She's pretty wrapped up in school and extra-curriculars, I guess. I'd say we have our work cut out for us."

"You're going to help me try for her anyway?" Tyler said in surprise.

"Do you have any _other_ girls in mind?"

Tyler frowned in thought.

"Uh…"

"Exactly," Reid grinned victoriously, his point firmly made. "Let's start strategizing."

-

Tyler held his lunch tray in hand, as he and Reid peered over the crowd for their 'target', as Reid referred to it as. Tyler couldn't help feeling like a predator stalking a prey.

"There she is," Reid pointed out to a table in a far corner. He moved behind Tyler, rubbing his shoulders harshly like a boxing coach to a heavyweight champion.

"Remember what I told you," Reid advised aggressively. "Come on strong. Don't take no for an answer. You're the man. You're Fonzie. You're Bond… You're that one card-throwing Cajun from the X-men…"

"Who?"

"Just go get her!" Reid shoved Tyler off in Willow's direction, then went off to find a seat elsewhere.

Tyler rubbed his neck as he carried his tray with one hand, going down the rows of tables to where Willow sat. He stood before her, coughing slightly to catch her attention, but she was too wrapped up in whatever she was drawing in her notebook.

"A-_hem_!" Tyler tried once more, but it was useless. He shrugged helplessly to the distant Reid for advice. Reid mimed a tapping motion with his finger.

So, Tyler reached over and poked the girl softly in the shoulder. She jumped in surprise, proceeding to knock over a bottle of chocolate milk all over the front of Tyler's pants, which caused Tyler to leap backwards in a poor attempt at avoiding the blast. Tyler could _swear_ that chair had not been behind him before, but it would be an ill-fated argument.

Reid accounted later that all he could see was Tyler's feet go into the air along with his entire tray of food, and that it was the single most hilarious thing he had ever seen before in his life. All Tyler could remember was blacking out and waking up with salad and pizza toppings all over his face.

Reid and Willow were the closest people to hover over him, but a small crowd was formed around them. The pain set in immediately, in the back of his head and in his tailbone and arms. Tyler couldn't recall when he had a more harmful day.

"It's alright!" Reid called out with relief as he saw Tyler's eyes open. "He's alive!"

"Hardly," Tyler mumbled. He was beginning to think that these Donnelly twins were bad for his health.

-

**Please review.  
****Signed,  
****--RedRogue**


	4. Step Three

**A/N: I have a quote for my dear friend Kat, or commonly known as, the reason this story exists. Here you go, Kit-Kat, inside joke number 1: "I have an alternate title for this story and it is… '**_**How to Make Ty Die**_**'." Laugh it up, wee-yotch. I know I am.**

**-**

_**How To Kill a Sims:**_

**Step Three:  
Add a bit of spice into the mix.**

-

"Oh, my goodness, are you okay?" Willow said as she bent down at Tyler's side. The surrounding accident gawkers began to disperse when they came to terms with the fact that there would be no blood to be witnessed today. Reid ran off with the crowd, passing Tyler an encouraging thumbs up before he made himself scarce. Tyler took it as his cue to get his flirt on with the cute girl.

"Oh, no," Tyler said, rubbing his neck in (almost) fake pain. "I think I might have hurt something permanently…"

Like maybe his pride?

"My gosh, I'm sorry," Willow crooned with worry all over her face. "You surprised me…"

"I'll be okay," Tyler made to get up. "I just need something in my stomach is all. Maybe a burger would do the trick. Want to come?"

Yeah, _that_ was subtle…

She got the hint quickly and freaked. She backed away and muttered under her breath, nervously pushing her hair behind her left ear.

"I… I, uh…" she looked around for the nearest escape route. "I have to go… I'm sorry again…"

Tyler watched her slip away, powerless to stop her, a pleading look in his eyes. Reid seemed to come from nowhere, herding Tyler away from Willow with a sweeping movement.

"Hang on a second," Reid said, raising his index finger for Willow to wait on, and pulled Tyler promptly aside. Surprisingly enough, this did stop her.

"What?" Tyler asked in confusion. "I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"Yeah," Reid said with a nod. "_Tanking_."

"What'd I do?" Tyler was genuinely in the dark.

"Obviously not _her_!" Reid stated, glancing at the anxious Willow to see if she had left yet. Reid waved at her to sit tight. "Listen, you're not being forward enough, man. This one's delicate. She's shy. You need to step up to the plate. Get it out of your pants for a minute and jump the woman. You are not making any babies just taking 'no' as is."

Tyler frowned at his friend.

"_Reid_…"

"Get out of my face, you pitiful little child," Reid waved him off. "Your line is getting deader as we stand."

Tyler glared at Reid with hatred, and went back over to Willow. He had to be aggressive. It was out of his comfort zone, but he had to try. For the sake of the line.

"Hi, I'm sorry about him," Tyler muttered as he faced the girl again. "Look, I was just wondering… I didn't mean to, I mean, I just thought we could…"

Reid came up behind him again and threw his arm around his friend's shoulders.

"What my friend is utterly failing to say is…" Reid said with a smirk. "He likes your ass, and he wants a piece of it."

Willow dropped her purse on the floor, as she gasped. Tyler didn't dare bend to pick it up, he was so frozen in embarrassment, his eyes locked indefinitely out the window directly ahead of him. Reid bent down to pick up the purse, and gave it to Willow with a smile. She took it very stiffly, her eyes locked in a dead, shocked gaze ahead of her.

"Thank you," she told Reid quickly as she made herself shake out of her stunned trance. "But I'm… I'm not that kind of girl…"

"Well, we appreciate your honesty," Reid tipped an invisible hat to her. "Have a great day."

He pushed the statue Tyler had become and dragged him off away from the girl.

"In other words, thanks for wasting our precious time," Reid said under his breath into Tyler's ear. "You can count _her_ off the list of 'do-ables'…"

Tyler looked over his shoulder as Reid dragged him off, and felt sadly disappointed by Reid's words. Willow scurried off, never looking back even once.

-

Tyler floated on his back in the middle of the school's indoor pool. He let the water caress him, all his troubles melting into it like they were liquid themselves. Long after practice had ended, here is where he stayed, loving those few moments between competitive swim practices and when the water polo team came and took over. Usually it gave him about an hour each day to himself. An hour in which he reflected on his life, reveled in his loneliness, and frantically came to terms with the facts of the matter.

"I am dying," he said aloud, letting his voice echo through the large room. "I'm dying and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Is that so?" said a female off behind him, making Tyler practically swallow the entire pool in surprise. "If that's true, then that's hot."

Tyler nearly choked from the sudden gasp full of water. It was Ember, lounging on the front of the bleachers like she was tanning in the sun. Her big boot was propped up on the bench, while the other leg stretched out lazily onto the floor. An elbow held her torso up, and the other hand dug out a cigarette case from her pocket.

"What are you doing here?" Tyler demanded, suddenly feeling a little modest around her and backing himself near to the pool's wall for refuge. "D-don't you know it's after hours?"

He felt stupid to asking her that, but he didn't know what else to say. She put a cig to her purple lips and took out a small silver Zippo.

"Sure," she replied very simply.

She cradled the lighter in her palm and lifted the flame to kiss her cigarette. Tyler just watched in silence, his mind drawing a blank.

"So, what's the reason?" she asked, as she blew out the first satisfying puff of smoke.

It took Tyler a moment to figure out that she was asking about his death omen.

"Oh, uh, some brain disease."

"Contagious?"

"Don't think so."

"That's surprising," she retorted. "I always had money on Garwin having the brain disease. Should have known it was just his blonde head."

Tyler held back a laugh and covered it with a fake cough. He was supposed to still be mad at her.

"Why did you set me up?" he demanded angrily instead.

"Fulton was starting to get on my nerves," she shrugged taking the cig from her mouth and holding it between two fingers. "Besides, you needed a good ass-whoopin'."

"Why would I _need_ an ass-whooping?"

"Because you're a pansy."

"Ex_cuse_ me?"

"When's the last time you've been in a scrap like that? That Danvers kid you hang around with-- when's the last time you stood up to _him_?"

"Oh, I see, so you got me pounded for my own benefit-- how could I miss that?" Tyler scoffed.

Ember laughed, smoke streaming through her smile.

"Sims, you are so pathetic," she said, flicking her cigarette away. "You say you're dying, yet you're just lolli-gagging around a pool all day and letting your time slip by you just like you have with your entire life. You know what? I've decided to help you salvage this time wasted here into something worthwhile."

Tyler snickered his disbelief. He cut himself off as he watched her shed her socks and shoes.

"What are you doing…?" he asked with a bit of worry in his tone. He was praying she wasn't doing what he suspected she was.

"Take it off," she ordered firmly.

"What?!" Tyler's eyes grew wide, having his suspicions confirmed for the worst. She shimmied off her black velvet jacket next.

"The _speedo_, Sims."

Tyler gulped, wondering how this cruel fate hate befallen him. Sure, he was a big talker when it came to women, but when it came down to the nitty-gritty, he didn't have the nerves for squat. As she lifted her shirt over her head, revealing her black lace bra underneath, Tyler thought he might blow a microchip.

"Geez!" he muttered under his breath at her raw insanity. He immediately hid his poor, innocent eyes and turned to face the pool's cement wall.

"Take it off, Sims!" she sang out again, as he heard her heavy skirt hit the tile floor. "You're only wearing one article of clothing-- it's not that difficult!"

"I'd really rather not," Tyler replied.

"What's the matter?" Ember called back. "Got size issues?"

"No!" Tyler replied promptly. "Listen, you're about the _last_ person who I would discuss the size of my… Oh, would you _please_ put your clothes back on?"

Her foot hit the water, which meant she had to be naked by now. Tyler gulped and resisted the urge to turn around.

"For Pete's sakes, you're even more of a pansy than I thought," her voice echoed through the empty hall. "At least _look_ at me, Sims."

Tyler shook his head firmly, and Ember sighed behind him.

Why, oh why did Tyler have to be such a moral kid? If he were Reid, he would have turned around in an instant. Maybe fate really was trying to tell Tyler something by giving him this disease. Maybe he was the only one who needed such a dramatic eye-opener.

"You're hopeless. You're going to die an already dead man."

He let her words sink in and fill him with resentment towards their truthfulness. He had to prove her wrong. Himself too.

"Wait," he called out. "I'll do it."

Tyler took a deep breath, and readied his mind for the task. Ember started whistling the Jeopardy theme.

"Just give me a _second_, Ember!" he snapped over his shoulder. He dropped his hands under the surface of the water and let them graze over the smooth material of his black Speedo. In one swift motion, he pulled them down to his feet and let them float back up to the surface. He took another gasp of air, steadied his heart.

"No fair facing the wall," she stated.

Tyler made ready to see Ember for all her glory, and vice-versa. He grew a bit excited at the thought of her naked and near to him in the privacy of the pool room. It would sure make his week worthwhile in _his_ book.

With that thought in mind, Tyler slowly allow himself to turn around in the water…

Only to face the entire girl's water polo team, their gaping-mouthed coach, and a very triumphant Ember.

-

**Please review.  
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


	5. Step Four

**A/N: There is no author's note.**

**-**

_**How To Kill a Sims:**_

Step Four:  
Heat until Sims turns bright red.

-

"HOLY SHIT!" Tyler shouted as he dived for his swimsuit and the girls of the water polo team burst out in laughter. Tyler yanked on his speedo shorts at lightning speed, and dashed out of the shallow end stairs so fast there was fire on his heels. He kept running straight past the showers, and into the halls of Spenser, before he realized he left his clothes in his pool locker. He would rather chew off his own arm than go back and face those girls, so he opted to leave them behind and save himself.

Wet, cold, and very embarrassed, Tyler ran down the empty halls to his room. He passed by Pogue on the way there, who only had time to give him a bewildered look and say:

"Should I ask?"

"I'd really rather you wouldn't," Tyler retorted quickly as he ran off around another corner.

-

"Stop laughing, Reid," Tyler said as he slipped on his pants. Reid was rolling on his bed holding his stomach, and hadn't stopped since Tyler had entered the room.

"I mean it-- cut it out!" Tyler said a little more harshly, hoping Reid would gather he was serious.

"I can't!" Reid said, wiping a tear from his eye as he sat up. "This is priceless. I mean, really, this is classic. I would've paid big money to have seen the--" Reid started busting up again and collapsed on his bed. "The LOOK on your FA-A-ACE!"

Tyler hurled the nearest object he could get his hands on (which happened to be a textbook) toward Reid's head. A flash of fire in Reid's eyes and the book was immediately halted in midair and dropped to the floor.

"Com'on," Reid reasoned. "Someday you'll look back on this and laugh too."

"What day would _that_ be, Reid?" Tyler snapped angrily. "When I'm old and gray?"

Reid's smile vanished, and his expression plummeted. _That_ certainly shut him up. Reid cast his eyes out the window.

"You _know_ I didn't mean it like that, Ty," he growled through his teeth.

Silence overcame the room, as Tyler slipped on a gray knit hoodie for the cold outside. Reid looked at his biker-gloved hand at eye level, examining his nails without interest.

"Wanna go to Nick--?" Tyler couldn't even finish the sentence before Reid was upright saying: "Sure."

-

It was cold and rainy outside, making everything and everyone soggy even in the few moments between parking lot and _Nicky's_ front door. It was much warmer inside, thankfully. The many moving bodies in the room made for nice, close air. Tyler shook out his wet jacket in the doorway and hung it up on the community rack, while Reid did the same.

Tyler swept his eyes over the scene of Nicky's, scanning for people he knew. Then he wished he hadn't. His eyes burned at the sight.

Ember. Playing pool like she was a normal human being or something.

"No…" he breathed in dismay. Reid followed his gaze and laughed.

"Oh look, Ty, your girlfriend's here."

"She is _so_ not my girlfriend," Tyler groaned. "I curse the day I laid eyes on her. Let's go."

"Not so fast," Reid said, yanking him back over by his side. "Get over your humiliated pride and forget what happened this morning for a half a second. Think about it, this _entire_ nightmare could be over. The Cookie Monster's just crazy enough to be bought."

"'Cookie Monster'?"

"She has blue hair, Tyler—try to keep up. Would you still have sex with her to save your line?"

Tyler frowned.

"Not happily."

"But you would."

"I guess."

"Then she's perfect. Come with me."

Reid weaved his way through the crowded bar with ease, while Tyler struggled to keep up through the bustling people. Ember was concentrating hard on her game, playing against a guy Tyler didn't recognize. When they reached her, Reid tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, what do you want." She said it flatly, not even looking up to see who it was.

"Hello, Luciferella," Reid said, making his identity known to her. This discovery made her stand up straight to look him in the eye.

"Well, if it isn't the Ape-Man," she greeted with some disdain.

"Ape-Man?" Tyler whispered into Reid's ear.

"Garwin-Darwin," Reid hissed back quickly. "I told you to try and keep up."

"Right."

"And Ty-boy too," Ember observed in surprise. "Do we have business?"

"We do," Reid replied, pulling Tyler back forward, foiling his escape attempt of trying to discreetly slip away. "I'm going to give it to you straight," Reid went on. "I've heard that's how you like it."

"Word does get out."

"I'm purposely hazing the specifics, but fact of the matter is, Tyler here needs to make a baby as soon as humanly possible. You see where I'm going with this, I'm sure."

Ember seemed unfazed, which surprised Tyler. She scanned Tyler over and chewed on her own tongue for several moments. Tyler couldn't help but blush at this strange conversation.

"Is that what this is all about? Should have said so to begin with Ty-boy. How much?"

"One hundred grand."

"No," she replied immediately, turning her back to them.

"Three hundred."

"_Four_, you say?" she said, just as quickly turning back to face him again. "Then, we're talking. We need particulars. One kid, end of story?"

"Well," Reid admitted. "It has to be an heir to the family name."

"A boy," Ember caught on. "You mean if I get a girl, we have to go again?"

"Well… yeah."

"Forget it. Even I'm not that crazy."

"Will an even five hundred make you seem more sane?"

Her brow shot up.

"It just might."

"Pleasure doing business."

"Same."

And there went his chance at romance. Reid had just saved his bloodline's skin, but at the cost of any chance at love? It sucked. Reid set up an 'appointment' for Saturday, which was three days away. Tyler sighed and headed for the door. Reid, seeing as his ride was leaving, could only follow Tyler.

"We just got here, man, where you going?" Reid called anxiously.

"Let my line die-- I don't want to do this," Tyler shot over his shoulder.

"What?! It's done! It's all set up! All _you_ gotta do now is show up and nail the girl!"

"I want to get married, Reid!"

Reid frowned.

"That will probably cost us extra."

"Not to _Ember_!" Tyler said. "Ember is nuts! She belongs in a straight jacket!"

"Just because you're afraid of a little wild sex…"

"I'm _not_-- oh, screw it, you wouldn't understand."

Tyler heard Reid stop walking.

"Indulge me," he commanded.

Tyler stopped too, and faced his best friend.

"I want a chance at… _love_, Reid, you know? All the _rest_ of the Cov will get the chance to take their time to fall for someone, marry them, _then_ do the having a kid thing… Because you guys get all the time you want. But no, I have to pay a _psycho_ to have my kid. If that's the way of it, then screw it."

Reid sighed and shook his head.

"Alright," he said at length. "I'll make you a little deal. I'll reschedule with Ember for a week from Saturday. If you think you can do the love thing by then, I'll gladly call Ember off."

Tyler considered this.

"Okay, fair enough," Tyler replied.

-

**Please review.**

**Signed,**

**--RedRogue**


	6. Step 5 The Final Step

**A/N: Last chap for this shortish story. Hope you loved it, Kitty, even though it took forever to post the last chapter because I blabbed the ending to you. Whatevs.**

**-**

_**How To Kill a Sims:**_

Step Six:  
Let stand and become cool, then enjoy.

-

"Willow!" Tyler called out, as Willow seemed to be having some sort of convulsion as she jogged off, as the lust spell upon her was obviously too much for her tiny body to handle. He caught up to her in the parking lot, where she immediately turned around and planted her lips on his in a violent manner. Tyler squeaked in surprise, not knowing how to handle this ravenous woman devouring his mouth, but he managed to lift his hands up to her cheeks, and send a new spell into her body. One that would calm her slowly and lift the repulsive spell that Reid had given her. Hopefully her racing heart inside her chest would have no real damage.

As the spell became fully lifted, Tyler realized that still she kissed him, all on her own. When she finally pulled away, Tyler was sure now that he had some small chance with her, that on some level she really was attracted to him. He stared into her big doe eyes and smiled at her.

She smiled back.

-

Tyler threw another pebble into the crashing water in the river below him, as he and Willow swung their legs over the edge of a stone bridge. They had been together the entire night, and now witnessed the sun starting to rise before them, like front seats to a show.

"So this power," Willow went on with what they had been discussing all night. Every so often Willow would break their silences with new questions. "It only passes to the firstborn?"

"Yup."

"That's why you need to have an heir so bad."

"Yup."

"Well, Tyler," Willow looked sideways at him, as if afraid to break her bad news. "I hate to burst your bubble, but… I'm barren."

Tyler nearly fell into the water below, and Willow had to brace his arm.

"You mean you can't have kids?" Tyler coughed out in surprise.

Willow nodded meekly.

"I do like you, Tyler, but… if that's what your final hopes resides, I just don't see how it's going to work out. I don't want to waste your time."

Tyler went silent for many minutes. It was news that was hard to swallow. She knew he was going to die soon. She knew his line needed an heir. But she couldn't be the one provide one for him. Not now, not ever.

Tyler sighed as he fathomed having to sleep with psycho Ember again. Saturday would creep up on him before he knew it. He had to do it. Just bite the bullet and go through with it. Maybe if he closed his eyes and imagined sweet Willow instead it might make it easier, but Tyler knew even his mind was not that creative even if they were almost identical twins.

Tyler took Willow's hand in his, and brought it to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

Fate sucked.

-

Tyler hung his head low as he walked. His shoulders slouched, his feet dragging, as a man would if he were in chains being led to the hangman's noose.

It was Saturday. Saturday night, at that. He had spent every waking moment that he had in Willow's presence. He had wooed her in every simple way his mind could concoct. She had fallen in love with him, and he had fallen for her, deeply.

But when the cards were down, at the end of the day, he was still a dying man. Still in desperate need of an heir before the Simms line was lost forever.

"Are you really going to do it?" Willow asked in her meek, small voice. Tyler put his forehead to hers, his pain evident in his tightened face and clenching eyes.

"I kinda have to," Tyler replied in an unconvincing manner, a groan clouding every word. He sniffed back threatening tears. "You know I love you, right?"

Willow nodded, her forehead still pressed against his, thus shaking his head too.

"I love you too, Tyler. I'll be here when you get back."

Why did Willow have to be so damn understanding? Why couldn't she put up a fight and refuse to let him do this? He would have been all too happy to consent to her wishes.

Yet, here he was, walking down the dark and dreary hallways of Spenser Academy, on his way to keep his booty call appointment with Ember. He could only hope that he made her pregnant on the first try, lest he have to relive this nightmare again.

The door was before him much too soon. Ember waited for him on the other side.

He knocked twice, and waited. There was no answer. There was no answer for five pairs of knocks and three calls of her name after that. Finally, he gave up.

But, as he walked down the hall cursing the name of Fate, that very force of life sent him a wild card, in the form of noises coming from a nearby men's bathroom. It sounded a bit like someone in pain, alarming Tyler immediately to assume the worst. So, Tyler burst into the large bathroom without warning.

That's when he saw it. Two naked bodies pressed together in a steaming shower, one distinctly blue-haired and the other a blonde. The noises of their moans echoed in the empty tiled room, and Tyler couldn't help but gasp.

And even though the sight should have been devastating, once the initial shock of it all had passed, Tyler couldn't help but sigh in relief. He gently closed the door behind himself, and let the two lovers be. In retrospect, he probably should have seen it coming.

There goes the Simms.

But at that moment, nothing really mattered but seeing Willow. A walk quickly turned into a run, straight back to that familiar room where he had just left her. She seemed surprised to see him when he burst the door open with a large smile on his handsome face.

"What are you doing back so soo--"

Tyler kissed her before she could finish the sentence.

-

Epilogue:

-

Tyler and Willow married the very next week, and remained blissfully happy until Tyler's end. Tyler wowed the doctors by not dying in three months as diagnosed, but rather lived for two years after that. He lived long enough to bear a child, with Willow, who got cured of her barren womb thanks to the combined efforts of the Covenant's magic.

They named their boy Tyler Simms, Jr.

-

END

-

**Please review.**

**Signed,**

**--RedRogue**


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